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FIND A GROUP
FOR YOU
Clubs, Events, and Classes At Your Local
Sew And Quilt Store
Killeen, Tx
Temple, Tx
Waco, Tx
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Sewing Show And Tell
By Donna Trumble
What could be more depressing than to create something truly
beautiful, and have no one every see it? When we pour our hearts and
souls into a project, we want someone to notice; someone to
appreciate our accomplishments. Perhaps, nothing is depressing than
to have no one to share passions and achievements.
One solution is to surround yourself with people who share your
passion. Filling your life with people who genuinely appreciate your
creative accomplishments is easier than you might think. What you
need is a Sewing Show and Tell group.
Sewing Show And Tell is a gathering of people interested in
some area of sewing who come together for the purpose of sharing
their creative results, seeking inspiration and new insights about
their hobby, and encouraging one another to expand their sewing
skills, knowledge, and activities. It may be called a club, a group,
a gathering, meeting, or even a party. It may be organized by
friends, sponsored by churches or other non-profit organizations,
hosted by sewing retailers, or developed by a sewing teacher. There
is no single set up or design for a Sewing Show N’ Tell.
Sewing Show And Tell is for youth and/or adults who love to
sew, want to learn, desire inspiration, and are willing to encourage
others. The goal is to share passion for sewing.
At our Sew And Quilt Stores in central Texas, we have dozens of
groups that include Sewing Show And Tell ingredients. For example,
each store has a monthly program we call Sewing Club which is a
sponsored Sewing Show And Tell group with a general focus on sewing
including any areas of sewing that the participants are interested.
Our sponsored Sewing Club is attended by people who love sewing
includes beginning sewers and experts; hobbyists and professionals;
quilters and sewing teachers; young and more mature. Attendance runs
from five or six up to fifteen. The group is hosted and led by store
owners, educators, or technicians. While there is flexibility, and
there are some differences from one store to another, each group
includes a short demonstration of a new sewing technique,
introduction of new sewing products, and often a project. The
majority of the time, however, is spent sharing projects,
techniques, and ideas among the participants. Often attendees will
have questions or challenges. The group provides encouragement and
help.
How can you find a Sewing Show And Tell?
1. It is highly likely that a Sewing Show And Tell is meeting in
your area right now. If you live within a few miles of a large town
or larger community, you can be confident they exist, but it may not
be a snap to find them.
2. Traditional ways to find things probably won’t work. It is highly
unlikely that you will find a group listed in your yellow pages,
local internet search, or even associated with most fabric shops.
Sewing Show And Tell groups seldom advertise on billboards, TV, or
radio. Most Sewing Show And Tell groups are independent and small
(less than fifteen members). Most have limited if any affiliation to
any regional or national association.
3. Finding a group, however, is not as big a challenge as you might
think.
4. Try contacting your local church if you live in a more rural
area. Local ministers, pastors, and priests often are aware of lots
of small groups beyond the standard Bible groups. Church women’s
groups frequently sponsor groups with special hobby interests.
5. Try looking in your yellow pages for your local sewing machine
dealer.
a. The greatest source in your region for sewing expertise, sewing
classes, and sewing groups is the sewing machine store.
b. Most sewing machine stores have expert sewing teachers as well as
excellent technicians, but they also actively support, sponsor, and
encourage everything to do with sewing including promoting Sewing
Show And Tell groups.
c. Often local quilt guilds and chapters of the American Sewing
Society have programs that either support or sponsor sharing groups.
Your local sewing machine store personnel should be able to put you
in contact with such groups.
6. Specific Focus: Finding a group may not be as difficult as
finding a group focused on your specific area of interest.
a. For example, if your area of interest is Heirloom sewing, you may
find a dozen Sewing Show And Tell groups in your area focused on
paper piecing, general quilting, embroidery, clothing, or home
decor.
b. If you discover you can not find a group focused on your specific
area of interest, you might consider joining the next best thing, or
a group whose focus is as close to what you are looking for as
possible.
7. Or, you might consider starting your own Sewing Show And Tell
focused on your special area of interest.
AUTHOR:
Donna Trumble is a professional designer, seamstress, author, sewing
educator, and sewing business owner. She leads several
Sewing Show And Tell groups in her stores guiding participants to
shop sewing machines and learn about sewing and quilting.
RESOURCE:
For more information on sewing show and tell groups, check out
"Sewing, The World's Greatest Hobby"
by Donna and David Trumble. And check out the local Sew And
Quilt Stores in Killeen, Temple, and Waco, Texas or at
www.sewandquiltstore.com.
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